Sensory and Perceptual Contributions to the Preparation and Execution of Goal-Directed Action

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Consider, for instance, that I reach to swat a fly on my desk and miss it. If I try again, what type of error signal can I use to update and adjust my next attempt? Does my awareness of the error signal influence what I think is the source of the error - for example, did I miss because the fly moved or I made a error in my reach? What happens if, while I'm not looking, the fly lands on the back of my hand? How easily can I tell, without looking, which hand the fly has landed on? How will the location of my hand affect how quickly I can locate the fly? If I decide, again without looking, to try and swat the fly with my other hand, how accurate is my sense of where my hand (with the fly on it) is in space? What information do I use to plan my reach to swat the fly, and how quickly can I make my decision? The proposed research is designed to address these types of questions. The capacity of our brain and sensorimotor system to adapt - to detect and correct movement error, to refine our actions and adjust to changing conditions in the environment and/or neuromuscular system - is important to act upon and interact with the world. The long-term objective of this research program is to better understand the mechanisms underlying the sensory and perceptual-motor contributions to the preparation and control of goal-directed actions. I seek to understand the principles that govern the control and adaptation of goal-directed movements in the face of systematic perturbations to the sensory/perceptual environment and/or the effector machinery.